Ignition circuit and other lock



Oct. 20, 1931. v. 1.. GILPIN IGNITION CIRCUIT AND OTHER LOCK Filed Nov. 12 1930 WITNESSES (5 %M %M Patented Oct. 20, 1931 UNITED TAT-Es ATENT OFFIC i I f VICTOR L. GILPIN, OF BALTEMORE MARYLAND IGNITION CIRCUIT Application filed November 12, 1930. Serial K054952110.

This invention relates to improvements in locks and it consists of the constructions,

combinations and arrangements herein described and cla1med.- i

An object of the invention is to provide a lock for an ignition or other electrical circuit, embodying a switch by which the circuit terminals can either be bridged or released by the operation of a combination h of Flgure 2.

mechanism or a key cylinder by which the contaetor of the switch is carried, said key cylinder being an indispensable part of the combinationm echanism in that the tumblers of said cylinder are relied upon first as the connecting element with the combination mechanism when the latter isused, and second as the means by which disconnection with sald meclianismis established when the key cylinder alone is desired to be used.

Another object of the invention is to so combine the lock switch in the instrument board of a motor vehicle that said instrument board shall function as a part of the lock.

' of an instrument board'showing parts of the improved lock combined therewith.

Figure 2 is a vertical section taken on the line 22 of Figure 1-, the portions behind the instrument board being shown.

Figure .3 is a cross section taken on the line 3'3 of Figure 2, illustrating the initial bler disc projectionat the beginning of work'- ing the combination by turning the knob to the right.

Figure 4 is a similarview illustrating how the dog drops into the alined notches upon a a reversal of the knob. f

Figure 5 is a similar viewfillustrating the abutment as having caught up with the dog inexpensive watch. engagement of the tumbler pin with the tum- AND OTHER Loon upon the continued. turning. of the knob to the left, the final circuit closing position be; ing denoted by the dotted line position of the dog. l

Figure 6 is across section taken on the line 6-6 of Figure 2, particularly showing the tumbler pin connection with the knob-f carried actuator disc.

Figure 7 is a section taken on the line 7 7 Figure 8 is a sectional view similar to Fig ure Zillustrating the use of a key to actuate the contactor independently of the combination mechanism. I V i The herein disclosed lock is of general ap- =plication, and its useas a nieansforcontrolling an electrical circuit is merely described for the purpose of illustration. To the lat- -ter endit is an improvement on the automob le and other, lock disclosed in an applic'a- T- tion of Victor L. Gilpin' filed February 18,

1929, Serial No, 340,963.

That lock has provisions for simultaneously looking a steering post and opening an ignition clrcuit and woe versa, while the in.-

'stant lockis confined solely tothe control of a circuit which can be regarded asan ignition circuit. 7 This lock is'so reduced'and simple in its parts that it isjcoiitemplated to. make 1teconomical to throw the look away should .the occasion for an internal repair.

arise and substituteit by another.

This statement is not to be construed as a lack of merit in the lockfor as the possibility of anything going wrong because the contrary is the case in both instances. But the point is that the metallic stampings or cast- H .ings are so few and simple that thelock can be marketed at a low cost, enabling the owner toreadily replace it just as he would an Reference is made to thedrawings. if The core of the lockcomprises a key cylinder or 1 barrel 1 2)jwhich contains aplurality of tumblers 2 which tumblers are under individual spring pressure so that they normal ly project' out of an open side of the barrel lnto either'one of a pair of longitudinal slots .3 Fig. 2) of a sleeve imrnediately surrounding the barrel. The cylinder lock l'is of a ion - of an arcuate slot 23 in the disc.

known type, and its details, other than the tumblers 2, are omitted, it being suiiicient to understand that the tumblers are always under spring pressure so that they will occupy one of the slots 3 when not retracted by a key 5 (Fig. 8).

For the purpose of the latter the cylinder 1 has a key way 6 (Fig. 8), and when the key 5 is inserted its wards 7 produce a simultaneous retraction of the set of tumblers 2 out of the slot 3 (Fig. 8) and into the cylinder 1, leaving the surface of the latter perfectly flush and capable of being turned with utmost freedom by means of the key 5 without disturbing the combination mechanism which surrounds the cylinder or core 1.

I From this it will be understood that in the absence of the key 5 the tumblers 2 will be extended into one of the slots 3. The tumblers thus secure the cylinder 1 to the sleeve 4 so that these parts virtually comprise a unit. The inner reduced end 8 (Fig. 2) of the cylinder 1 carries a disc 9 of insulation to which a metallic contactor 10 (Fig. 7) is secured in any ordinary way, for example by means of a pair of rivets filed flush. 7 This contactor is engageable with the terminals 11 of an electrical circuit 12 which may be an ignition switch or any other circuit which it is desired to close. By inserting the key 5 (Fig. 8) and turning the cylinder 1 as already pointed out the circuit 12 can be closed without regard to the combination mechanism. A screw 13 secures the disc 9 to the end 8. A flat place 14 (Fig. 9) prevents turning of the disc relatively to the end 8.

The inner end of the sleeve 4 terminates in a stop disc 15. The cylinder 1 obviously turns in reference to this disc as it always does in reference to the sleeve 4 when actuated by the key 5. A- dog 16 is pivotally connected to this disc at 17 (Fig. The head 18 is made broad enough so that its nose 19 will span a tumbler disc 20 and ring 21 (Fig. and ride on the rims of these two members.

The disc 15 can be turned to the left or right, and the turning is limited by the engagement of a lug 22 (Fig. 3) with the ends The lug 22 is struck in or otherwise arranged on a casing 24 (Fig. 2) in which the disc 15 fits with other members of the combination mechanism. A slightly raised dome 25 makes room for the outerpart of the dog head 18 when the combination is off and the switch is locked; Otherwise the outer part of the head rides against theVca-sing 24 when the combination is on as in the movement leading up to unlocking. 7

Hubs 26, 27 and 28, respectively of the disc 20, ring 21 and of an actuator disc 29 have bearing on the sleeve 4. A washer 30 seated tightly on the sleeve 4 retains the hubs 26, 27 in'the space adjacent to thestop disc 15.

These hubs are independently and freely revoluble in the space. The washer 30 its in a circular groove 31 (Fig. 2) in the disc 2:) thus bringing the adjacent confronting faces of the disc 29 and ring 21 close together.

A tumbler pin 32 (Fig. 3), fixed crosswise of the ring 21 (Fig. 2) like the head of a T always engages at one end in a radial slot 33 (Fig. 2) that branches from the groove 31 (Fig. 6), and at the other end is engageable with a'projection 34 (Fig. 3) on the near side of the tumbler disc 20. The hub 28 extends forwardly where it terminates in a lniurlcd knob 35 (Fig. 1). The end of the key cylinder 1 and the key way 6 appear at the face of the knob.

The knob 35 projects through a hole 36 in the instrument board 37, in which hole the knob is turned first to the right, then to the left in order to work the instant combination. A circular dial 38 is permanently secured to the hub 28 (Fig. 2) immediately behind the instrument board 3? so that its numerals 39 and graduations 40 can easily be seen at an opening 41 in the instrument board. The numerals and graduations are read in reference to a pointer 42 that extends up from one edge of the opening.

It is to the foregoing extent that the lock and instrument board are combined, the latter functioning as a part of the lock inasmuch as the pointer 42 constitutes the place in referencc to which the manipulation of the combination mechanism is begun. The combination herein adopted is 26 to the right, that is to. say a turn of the knob 35 to the right until graduation 43 (Fig. 1) registers with the pointer 42, then a turn to the left until the dog 16 catches in the manner presently explained. The instrument board 37 is desirably embellished with ornamentation 44 around the opening 41. This mav either conr prise an attached plate or an embossed or engraved design.

The casing 24 has a closure cap 45(Fig. 2) on its forward end. hen the assemblage of the parts is made the casing is permanently secured in the cap so that it cannot be pulled off. A plate 46 (Figs. 2 and 7) fits the casing 25 immediately behind the stop disc 15 and is held from turning b the fitting of this notch 47 (Fig. 2) over the same lug 22 that limits the turning of the stop disc 15.

This plate 46 acts as a stop plate for the key cylinder 1. The key cylinder has a pin 48 7 that projects into an arcuate passage 49 that communicates with the hole 50 in the center of the plate receiving the inner reduced end 8. .Upon inserting the key 5 and turning the key cylinder 1 in order to super sede the combination mechanism in the manner previously indicatedpthe motion to tho right or left will be limited by the engagement (Fig. j v The ring 21 has a cavity 58 (Fig. 3) that eX- of it, inplace. A cover 52, fitted over the swaged rim ofxthecasingprotects the contactorlO andthe circuitterminals 1 1. These are suitablyvmounted on insulation 53 (Fig. ="7 )iiisideofnthe casing- A bracket 54 Fig. 7), fixed behind the instrument board, receives the casing 24, and when itscoacting' yoke 55 is screwed or otherwise secured in place at 56 7) the casing will be rigidly '-'clamped in position. i

Reference isagain madeto the tumbler disc 20 and ring 21. The tumbler disc'has a notch 57 Fig. which is brought into position beneath the head 18 by turning the knob manent connection with the tends in depth to the'hub 27 i The ends of the cavity are bounded by'a wall 59 and an abutment 60. It is necessary to turn the knob 35 only a snort distance to the left from the place of registration of the graduation 43 with the pointer 42 when the Wall 59 will pass by the nose 1 9 (Fig. 4) and the head 18 will drop into the recess then composed of the registering notch 57 and cavity 58. j j

Acontinued turn to the left brings the abut ment 60 against the nose 19 (Fig. thusconnecting theformerly free stop disc 15 with the knob 35 by means of the dog 16 so that the concluding turn to the left and to the extent of the'slot 23 (Figs. 3 and 4) can be carried out until the dotted lineposition in Figure 5 is assumed. This concluding turn moves the contactor 10 into a bridging position across the terminals 11. f

The operation is readily understood. Or-

dinarily the knob 35 can be turned either to the right or left with the utmost freedom, and when it is turned the numerals 39 and graduations 40 (Fig. 1) pass in review behind the pointer 42. The lock cylinder 1 remains stationary, and the hubs 27 28, respectively of the ring 21 and disc 29, turn on the sleeve 4 as a bearing. The ring 21 and disc 29 turn as a unit because of the connection of the for ward end of the tumbler pin 32 (Fig. 2) with the radial slot 33 ofthe actuator disc 29.

Assume the lock to be operated by means of the combination mechanism in order to close the circuit 12. The object will be to jection 34 and a corresponding turn of the tumbler disc 20 (arrow .b,Fig. 3) until the notch 571(Fig. 3) in the tumbler disc 20 comes into position beneath .thenose 19 (Fig. 4

Now .turn: the knob 35 'to the left. .The

tumbler pin 32 departs from the projection 34 (arrow c,'Fig. 4) leaving the tumbler disc 20 standing.- The wall '59 willpre sently pass by thehead 18 whereupon the nose 19 drops into the recess then formed by the registering notch 57 and cavity '58, the latter being in the. ring 21. 1

A further turn to the left (Fig. 5) brings the abutment 60 against the nose 19. This now makes .aiconnecti'on of the knob 35, disc 29 and ring 21 with the stop disc 15 by means of the dog 16, and since the stop disc 15 is connected with the key cylinder 1 by means of'the set of tumblers '2' it follows that the continued turning of the knob 35 tothe left will impart the necessary motion to the disc 9in' order'to carry the contactor 10 to the ultimate bridging position across the terminals 11. i s

.Upon concludingthe turn of the knob 35 to'theleft (arrow (trig. 5) the turning mo- 1 tion is imparted to the disc 15, shifting it to the dotted. line position in Figure 5. The

motion is limited by the slot 23 and lug 22, but during this motion the contactor 10 is earned to the bridging position across the terminals 11 to close the circuit 12 as already 1 pointed out.

i In order to again open the circuitthe knob 35 is turned to the right. The wall 59 upon engaging the head 18 will push on'the head and consequently onthedoglti, rotating the disc 15 until the rightend of theslot 23 again engages the lug 22 (Fig. 5), whereupon a continued turn of the knob'will cause the wall 59jto rise under the rounded nose 19 and lift the head '18 out of the erstwhile recess 57, 58.

' The tumbler pin 32 has but a short additional distance to travel, still turning. the knob 35 to the right when it will engage the projection 34 and move the notch 57 from under the head 18 thus totally destroying the combination; It might appear that the wall 59 would be stopped by the head 18 and the latter prevented from being ridden up andout of the'foregoing recess. However,- the wall is made'on aslight incline, and in practicethe head 18 is displaced with utmost it from its'former position in one of the slots 3'; Smce these tumbler pins formerly were the connection between the'key cylinderl and sleeve 4, locking these two parts together,- it follows that the retraction of thetumbler 'set leaves the cylinder 1 perfectlyfree for brought to the bridging position across theterm'inais 11 inst-he same manner as before and the circuit 12 is closed. A turn of the key to the rlghtoagaln opens the clrcuit and the removal of the key permitsthe tumbler set 2 to spring back into the slot 3 (Fig. 2) .7

While the construction and arrangement of the improved ignitlon circuit and other look is that of a generally preferred form,

1 obviously modifications and changes may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the claims.

I cla1m:

1. A look svitclrcomprising a contactor,

ircuit terminals, carrying means by which said contactor is supported, combination mechanism for moving the carrying means thus to shift the contactor into terminal engaging and disengaging positions, means establishing a connection between said mechanism and carrying means thus to enable the movement, and means fordisplacing the connecting means from said mechanism and enable independent movement of said carrying means.

2. A lock comprising a switch, switch contactor carrier means, means to act on the carrier means to close and open the switch, means providing a connecting element between the operating means and the carrier means enabling said action, and means to disconnect said element" from the operating means enabling independent action of the carrier means for closing and opening the switch.

3. A lock comprising a switch, a key-cylinder directly carrying the switch contactori and being operable by a key to close and open the switch, a combination mechanism mounted on the lock cylinder also being operable to close and open the switch, and a set of tumblers providing a connecting element between the cylinder and combination mechanism for operation by the latter, said tumblers being displaced by the key to disconnect the combination mechanism.

4. A lock comprising a switch, a key cylin der directly carrying the switch contactor and being operable by a key to close and open the switch, a combination mechanism also be- Jing operable to close and open the switch, said mechanism including a sleeve with an opening, and a set of tumblers being part-of the key cylinder, occupying the opening to enable operation of the cylinder by the combination mechanism, but being retractible fromthe opening by said key to release the combination mechanism and confine operation to the key cylinder.

5. A lock comprislng a switch contactor, 'a comblnatlon mechanism arranged to be The key 5 is now? worked to an' established combination and thereupon to move the ,contactor, and a key cylinder directly carrying the contactor and including a standard tumbler set establishing normal connection with the combination mechanism but being disconnectible therefrom by the insertion of a key in the key cylinder for movement of the cylinder and contactor independently of said mechanism.

6. A lock comprising a combination mechanism including a sleeve with an opening, a key cylinderfitted in the sleeve and having a tumbler set normally occupying the opening to establish a connection, and a switch contactor carried by the cylinder being operable by the key cylinder either by the combination mechanism through said tumbler set or independently of the combination mechanism by the insertion of a key for the retraction of the tumbler set from said opening.

7, The combination of a switch contactor and an instrument board, a combination mechanism having a knob accessible at the instrument board for working said mechanism to a prearranged combination at which the contactor becomes movable by said mechanism, a calibrated dial movable with the knob, and a fixed pointer on the instrument board in reference to which the calibrations are read thus to indicate the extent of knob movements in said working of the combination.

8. A switch having a movable contactor, separate, optionally operative means by one of which the .contactor is carried, and a displaceable connection between said separate means enabling movement of the contactor either by one of said means or compelling operation of both to produce said contactor movement.

VICTOR L. GILPIN. 

